At the Isle of Wight, I visited two very different royal residences: one was the enchanting country residence of Queen Victoria and the other was the prison of King Charles I.

During the late 1800s, Queen Victoria visited her country mansion in the summers with her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and their children. Now, the property is a museum, with quotations from Queen Victoria’s diary posted on plaques and etched on fabric, her words guiding the way through the entire property.

The mansion is incredibly enchanting, with numerous English and foreign sculptures and other gifts. The dining room was entirely constructed in Indian architecture—the most beautiful and intricate designs I have ever seen. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed in the mansion.

Even more awe-inspiring, though, is the queen’s “backyard,” which consists of a beautiful courtyard, a forest, and a beach. The taste of royalty was never so sweet.

King Charles I, on the other hand, did not have as peaceful of a residence as Queen Victoria. Around 200 years before Queen Victoria’s birth, King Charles I ruled, sparked a civil war, and was eventually defeated and imprisoned in Carisbrooke Castle until his execution in 1649.

Carisbrooke Castle, although not housing happy memories, had an ancient charm to it. Still, King Charles I was a prisoner and would never leave the castle again despite his many escape attempts.

In the Isle of Wight, I had the opportunity to witness both the blissful and detrimental consequences of royal blood.

​The entrance to Queen Victoria’s mansion.

​A baby choking a swan? Because that’s an okay thing to do…

At the courtyard, surrounded by sculpted sphinxes on the water fountain.

​One small and gorgeous part of the queen’s very large courtyard.

​The English counterpart to the ice cream truck.

Two peasants visiting the royal premises.

The forest was the most enchanting part—blooming trees like this one were ubiquitous, scattering their petals at our feet.

Just like any good fairy tale, the trees bordering the ocean line took up a magical consciousness of their own, stretching their limbs away from the imposing waters.

​The ocean—right at the queen’s backyard…

​”It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot.” – Queen Victoria

The formidable entrance of Carisbrooke Castle.

Take a look at these badass warriors sworn to defend the Carisbrooke castle!

Here is a pathway into a creepy tunnel—one of the attempted escape routes?

The ruins of the castle wall felt very eerie and ancient.

Most of the buildings are still standing, a village that now houses cafes and restaurants for the tourists visiting the heritage site.

Hannah’s first reenactment of the king’s escape attempt.

Note: Although none of Hannah’s reenactments are historically accurate, it is said that the king could never get past the barred windows in his room.

Escape attempt #3! Will she make it?

The very impressive and narrow wall keeping the king inside the castle’s quarters.